Picture.



D. KOVAGS.

PICTURE. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 6, 1910.

1,014,759. Patentd Jan.16,-1912.

DYONIS KOVACIS, OF ROCHESTER, 'NEW YORK.

PICTURE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. '16, 1912.

Application filed June 6,1910. Serial No. $565,376.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, DYONIS KOVACS, of

Rochester, in the county of Monroe and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Pictures, which improvement is fully set forth in the following specification and shown in the accompanying drawings.

The present invention relates to pictures and it has for an object to provide a changeable or puzzle picture adapted for use in tive .channels 6 to '9 inclusive, the picture postal cards.

'To this and other ends the invention consists in certain parts and combinations of parts all of which will be hereinafter de-;

scribed and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawing: Figure 1 is a plan view of a picture constructed in accordance with the present improvements; Fig. 2 is a View, showing the base in plan with the opaquef and the transparent sheet removed; Fig. 3; is an enlarged section of the image portion of the picture; Fig. 4 is an enlarged section; of one of the chambers which contains flow-' ing material employed to bring out the image; Fig. 5' is a section on line 0;-a Fig. 1.

In the illustrated embodiment of the invention, a base 1 preferably is made from card board and is depressed to provide chambers 2, 3, 4 and 5 and image-forming channels arranged in a plurality of inde" pendent sets 6, 7, 8 and 9 forming a composite image and communicating respectively with the chambers 2,3, 4 and 5. The. base may also have channels 10 therein .simi-..

lar to channels, 6, 7, 8 and 9, the purpose thereof being to obscure the image formed by the channels 6, 7, 8 and 9 so that under normal conditions it will be impossible to decipher a picture. A transparent sheet 11 of celluloid or other suitablematerial may cover the base and a sheet of opaque material 12 of paper or other material may hide the chambers 2, 3, A and 5 from view while exposing the channels 6 to 9.

Within each chamber 2, 3, 4 and 5 and its communicating channel 6, 7, 8 and 9 may operate flowing material such as sand and the latter is colored differently for different chambers so that it is possible to obtain an image in different colors. For the separate control of each color, valves 13 may be provided to close the chambers to their channels,

and these valves may Seat at 14 and be held to their seats by springs 15 in the shape of elastic strips anchored at one end to the base 1 and secured at the other end to a valve. An operating cord1'6 may also be secured to each valve and extend to one edge of the card or base.

In using the illustrated embodiment of the invention one or more of the cords 16 are pulled to unseat the valves 13, thus permitting the flowing material .to move slowly fromchambers 2, 3, 4: and 5 to their respecbeing subjected to slight taps in order to cause the material to enter some of the'channels. The image will now appear gradually in a field which prior thereto appeared to contain nothing but a plurality of grooves promiscuously idlStIIbLltGd, thus causing curiosity on the part of one unfamiliar with the operation of the picture. Of course, by reversing this action the flowing material may be caused again to enter the chambers 2, 8, 4: and 5. I

A picture constructed in accordance with this invention is inexpensive to manufacture and simple in operation. It affords amusement both to the young and to the old :as it is puzzling in its nature, creating a desire to learn more of its operation. The particular form of the image is immaterial and it is possible t0 so construct the invention that it may be used for educational as well as entertaining purposes.

lVhat I claim is l. A picture comprising a base of sheet material having a chamber and also having .a channel communicating with the chamber,

a sheet of transparent material superposed on the base to cover the channel, a sheet of opaque material superposed on the base to hide the chamber, and flowing material movable from the chamber to the channel.

I 2. A portable picture having an invisible chamber, a plurality of visible channels defining an image, and granular material movable from the invisible chamber through the visible channels to form an image.

3. In a picture, the combination with the base of sheet material having an invisible chamber and visible channels forming an image and communicating with the chamber, of a sheet of transparent material covering the channels.

4. In a portable picture, the combination with the base having an invisible chamber and also having visible channels leading from said chamber and forming an image, of flowing material arranged to move from said chamber to the channels to bring out the image and vice-versa.

5. A picture having channels forming an image, channels arranged to obscure the image formed by the'first named channels, and flowing material arranged to operate in the imageorming channels to bring out the image. I i

6. In a portable picture, the combination with a base having channels forming an image and also having a chamber communicating with said channels, of a flowing material arranged to travel from the chamber to the channels and vice versa, a sheet of material superposed on the base to close the channels but torender them visible, and a sheet of material superposed on the base and arranged to render the chamber invisible.

7. In a portable picture, the combination with a base having'channels forming an image, said base also having an invisible chamber communicating with the channels, of a flowing material arranged to operate in the channels and the chamber and a valve on said base for controlling the flow of the material.

8. In a portable picture, the combination with a base having a lurality of independent .sets of channels orming a composite image, said base also having chambers each communicating with one of the sets of channels, of flowing materials of different colors operating in the different chambers and their channels.

colors arranged to operate in the different chambers and channels, valves supported on the base to control the supply from the chambers, a. sheet of material superposed on the base and arranged to close the channels but render the flowing material visible, and a sheet of material superposed on the base and arranged to render the chambers in visible.

10. A picture having a plurality of independent sets of channels forming a composite image, channels, each communicating with one of the sets of channels, flowing materials of different colors arranged to operate in the different chambers and channels, valves arranged between the channels and the chambers, and channelsarranged to obscure the image-forming channels when the latter do not contain the flowing materials.

11. A picture comprising a base Provided with image-forming channels and a chamber, an opaque sheet covering the chamber, a transparent sheet covering the channels, and a flowing material operating in 'the channels and the chamber.

12. A picture comprising abase provided with image-forming channels, with image obscuring channels and with a chamber, an opaque sheet arranged to cover the chamber and to expose the channels, a transparent sheet covering the channels, and flowing material arranged to operate in the chamber and the channels.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this 3rd day of June, 19l0, in the presence of two subscribing wltnesses.

I DYONIS KOVACS. Witnesses A. M. WHITMORE, H. H. SIMMs.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. 0.. 

